مَّا عَلَى ٱلرَّسُولِ إِلَّا ٱلْبَلَـٰغُ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ مَا تُبْدُونَ وَمَا تَكْتُمُونَ 99
Translations
Not upon the Messenger is [responsibility] except [for] notification. And Allāh knows whatever you reveal and whatever you conceal.
Transliteration
Maa alaa ar-rasooli illa al-balagh. Wa-Allahu ya'lamu maa tubdoon wa maa taktumoon.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah clarifies that the Prophet Muhammad's (ﷺ) sole responsibility is to convey the message of Islam clearly to humanity, while the outcome and acceptance of faith rests with Allah alone. Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari emphasize that this verse absolves the Prophet of responsibility for those who reject the message, as Allah is fully aware of both the outward deeds and hidden intentions of all people. This principle relieves the Prophet of the burden of forcing belief and establishes that divine knowledge encompasses all human actions, whether manifest or concealed.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the context of Surah Al-Ma'idah, which was revealed in the Medinan period and addresses various religious rulings and interpersonal conduct. The broader context of 5:99 relates to the Prophet's mission and the limits of his responsibility, reinforcing themes of divine wisdom and human free will that are central to Quranic teachings about prophethood.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'Whoever calls to guidance will have a reward similar to the reward of those who follow him, without the reward of those followers being diminished in any way.' (Sahih Muslim 2674). Additionally, 'The best jihad is a word of justice before a tyrannical ruler' (Sunan Ibn Majah 4011) reflects the principle that the believer's duty is to convey truth, with outcomes in Allah's hands.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers that our responsibility is to communicate truth sincerely and ethically, while entrusting outcomes to Allah's wisdom—a liberating principle that reduces anxiety about results beyond our control and encourages focus on sincere effort rather than guaranteed success.
Related Ayahs
۞ لَتَجِدَنَّ أَشَدَّ ٱلنَّاسِ عَدَٰوَةً لِّلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱلْيَهُودَ وَٱلَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُوا۟ ۖ وَلَتَجِدَنَّ أَقْرَبَهُم مَّوَدَّةً لِّلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱلَّذِينَ قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّا نَصَـٰرَىٰ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّ مِنْهُمْ قِسِّيسِينَ وَرُهْبَانًا وَأَنَّهُمْ لَا يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ
You will surely find the most intense of the people in animosity toward the believers [to be] the Jews and those who associate others with Allāh; and you will find the nearest of them in affection to the believers those who say, "We are Christians." That is because among them are priests and monks and because they are not arrogant.
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ مَن يَرْتَدَّ مِنكُمْ عَن دِينِهِۦ فَسَوْفَ يَأْتِى ٱللَّهُ بِقَوْمٍ يُحِبُّهُمْ وَيُحِبُّونَهُۥٓ أَذِلَّةٍ عَلَى ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَعِزَّةٍ عَلَى ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ يُجَـٰهِدُونَ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ وَلَا يَخَافُونَ لَوْمَةَ لَآئِمٍ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ فَضْلُ ٱللَّهِ يُؤْتِيهِ مَن يَشَآءُ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ وَٰسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ
O you who have believed, whoever of you should revert from his religion - Allāh will bring forth [in place of them] a people He will love and who will love Him [who are] humble toward the believers, strong against the disbelievers; they strive in the cause of Allāh and do not fear the blame of a critic. That is the favor of Allāh; He bestows it upon whom He wills. And Allāh is all-Encompassing and Knowing.
وَإِذْ قَالَ مُوسَىٰ لِقَوْمِهِۦ يَـٰقَوْمِ ٱذْكُرُوا۟ نِعْمَةَ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ إِذْ جَعَلَ فِيكُمْ أَنۢبِيَآءَ وَجَعَلَكُم مُّلُوكًا وَءَاتَىٰكُم مَّا لَمْ يُؤْتِ أَحَدًا مِّنَ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ
And [mention, O Muḥammad], when Moses said to his people, "O my people, remember the favor of Allāh upon you when He appointed among you prophets and made you possessors and gave you that which He had not given anyone among the worlds.
لَئِنۢ بَسَطتَ إِلَىَّ يَدَكَ لِتَقْتُلَنِى مَآ أَنَا۠ بِبَاسِطٍ يَدِىَ إِلَيْكَ لِأَقْتُلَكَ ۖ إِنِّىٓ أَخَافُ ٱللَّهَ رَبَّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ
If you should raise your hand toward me to kill me - I shall not raise my hand toward you to kill you. Indeed, I fear Allāh, Lord of the worlds.